MESSENGER ARRIVES, Mercury Orbit Insertion Options

[Astro0]

Less than 20 hours now until the MESSENGER spacecraft fires its engine to enter orbit at Mercury.

Live Webcast March 17th – broadcast starts at 0030 UTC.

Follow the progress: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/mer_orbit.html.
There will be commentary on the mission, real-time coverage of the maneuver, animation of what the spacecraft is doing, a view of the carrier’s Doppler as they receive it, and live video from MESSENGER Mission Operations.

Remember that the Canberra DSN is providing two-way communication with MESSENGER
We'll be using both DSS43 (70-metre) and DSS34 (34-metre) antennas.

Good luck to the team at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).

[Greg Hullender]

The Messenger site has updated the "Where is Messenger" page with seven new views, including the Messenger ground track. Check it out.

http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/whereis/index.php

--Greg

[tanjent]

I can't load Greg's "where is Messenger" link. Maybe the site is taking a well-deserved weekend's rest along with the personnel?
In the temporary absence of photographic evidence of Messenger's arrival, we'll have to stave off our hunger by consuming a week's worth of sims.
Will try again Monday.

[Greg Hullender]

I can't load Greg's "where is Messenger" link.

Seems to be working now: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/whereis/index.php

Perhaps they do site maintenance on Sundays.


--Greg